Free Dragon Stones (Book One in the Dragon Stone Saga) by Kristian Alva Page A

it’s safe for us to make
camp. It will be at least another four days until old Vosper can
get more soldiers up to Persil, and we’ll be long gone by then.
Your granny was always thorough, I’ll tell you that! What a woman!
May her spirit live forever in the fields of Darthnell, enjoying
all the spoils of the afterlife.” Thorin made a circular motion on
his chest, and withdrew a gold amulet from around his neck. It was
a pendant, set with tiny rubies, and it bore the image of a claw
hammer. He kissed it, before tucking it back into his tunic.
    “What is that?” asked Elias, pointing to the
pendant.
    Thorin held it up proudly. “This is the
symbol of my clan, Marretaela. My people are honest folk; though
not the biggest clan. We can talk more about this later. Right now,
let’s go make camp. There’s a secluded cave a few miles north of
here. We shouldn’t stay out in the open—there’s no sense in taking
unnecessary risks. The sun will be going down soon, and we could
have a fire started before then. It will be freezing tonight and we
will need to stay warm. Plus, I’m not one for cold food. I caught a
rabbit earlier that we can enjoy for dinner tonight.”
    Elias nodded. “There are good mushroom beds
nearby. It will only take me a few minutes to gather some. They
will go well with the rabbit.”
    “Aye. I’ll help you, boy.” They both walked
to Elias’ favorite mushroom spot and collected handfuls of wild
mushrooms, which Thorin wrapped into a piece of cloth and tied to
his belt. “Let’s go now, before it gets much later. My mount,
Duster, is grazing nearby. I’ll go get him.” Thorin returned a few
minutes later with a sturdy grey pony. Elias reached out and patted
his neck, and the animal responded by nudging him gently.
    “He seems good-natured.”
    “Aye. Duster has been my favorite for years.
He’s wasn’t bred for speed—he was bred for endurance. He’s as sharp
as a tack and doesn’t tire easily. The dwarves breed the best
ponies and sheep in all of Durn. Our animals have vigor and
fortitude, just like us!” Thorin slapped the pony’s side proudly.
Duster responded with a loud whinny. The pony’s legs were shorter
than normal, and thick; they were knotted with muscle.
    “Do you know how to ride, lad?”
    “Yes,” answered Elias. “We owned a horse a
few years ago, but Carina sold him because we needed money. I
learned how to ride bareback; we couldn’t afford a saddle.”
    “That’s fine. Tomorrow, we’ll head for
Jutland. We’ll purchase a horse for you there.”
    “Thorin, my grandmother told me that I
should go to the Elder Willow. Do you know where it is?” asked
Elias.
    “Yes. I suspected she might have told you to
go there.”
    “Do you know why?”
    “Not really sure,” Thorin said, looking at
the ground. He cleared his throat. “The Elder Willow is a magical
tree, and the groves surrounding the willow are guarded by various
spells and tree sprites. It’s not an easy journey, and the grove is
considered a holy place. If Carina told you to go, then we should
try to go. The Elder Willow is a bit out of our way, so we’ll
travel to Jutland first.”
    “Okay… I just wish I understood what was
going on.”
    “Everything will make sense in time. In the
meantime, you should collect some kindling for our fire. Gather as
much as you can. It will be cold tonight.”
    They were going to Jutland! Elias was
excited. Jutland was the largest city in the Elburgian Mountains.
He heard the village merchants talking about it often. There was a
large marketplace, and many wonderful sights. Elias’ grandmother
used to trade there, before her health failed. Elias had only been
there once—and that was many years ago, when he was a child. He
still remembered many of the sights and sounds.
    Both started walking east, with Thorin
leading the way. Elias kept himself busy collecting kindling for
the fire. The dwarf hummed an old war song, but otherwise didn’t
say much.
    After a